EuroCheapo's London Articles

Welcome to EuroCheapo’s London blog, filled with budget travel advice from our correspondents living in London. See our most recent articles on ways to save in London below. Find more articles in these categories:

Thanks to EuroCheapo correspondents across Europe, we now know that all Parisians aren’t the height of chic, and that Barcelona isn’t full of sangria-guzzling locals. Now it’s time to leap on the next Eurostar to debunk a few myths about London. 1. Londoners are rude Of course, London can be a frantic city, with so »Read more

You may have managed to find a great London hotel deal, but once you’ve checked in, London does have a way of extracting cash from you at a rate of knots. While there are ways and means to enjoy cheap food and excursions, I’ve always been stunned at how much you can be charged for »Read more

Accommodation in London is getting increasingly pricey with every passing day. Rates can easily hover upwards around £200 to £300 per night, and sometimes it feels like you need to shell out hundreds of quid just for the “luxury” of a window in the city. But don’t fret! There are still some great hidden gems »Read more

Mention lounges decked out with designs by the likes of Moooi and Tom Dixon, and you’d probably picture yourself inside a budget-busting hotel or restaurant. But they’re just a couple of the impressive pieces you’ll find in London’s far more wallet-friendly Generator Hostel, which has just undertaken a £8 million revamp. The London Generator was »Read more

Dutch hotel company Qbic opened its first property in Amsterdam in 2007, and its new London hotel is the next step in an ambitious expansion plan which aims to see 10 properties opened in the UK & Europe over the next seven years. It’s a hotel wth an intriguing concept, but will it catch on? »Read more

Walk down London’s Gower Street and it’s easy to imagine how it looked 10, 20, 30 years ago—its historic architecture is home to many long established organizations such as University College London and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Then there’s the reason that most Cheapos will be in the area—the abundance of reasonably priced »Read more

London is a pricey city—there’s no denying it. But Cheapos can make their British pennies go further by following these frugal ways to enjoy the best of the capital. 1. Get an Oyster! First things first, don’t even think about stepping on a Tube or bus without an Oyster card. Fares are high enough without »Read more

So we’ve finally made it through January, and the endless detoxing is over, hurrah! You may wish to celebrate by indulging in some of London’s most delicious eateries. But before you do, check out these tips to get a bit more bang for your buck when eating out in London. 1. TopTable When booking online »Read more

It’s easy enough to find your way to Paddington—it’s a station served by several underground lines, as well as the Heathrow Express. However, it’s harder to pin down as an area—we’ve used it to describe the cluster of budget hotels around the station that, on a London map, would probably be marked as Bayswater. Aside »Read more

Oscar season is upon us, and the lousy weather makes it the perfect time to cozy up and watch some of the latest releases. But in the age of downloads, going to the cinema in London has become somewhat of a premium experience, with ticket prices closer to those of the theater than a cheap »Read more

Most visitors to London, whatever their budget, are united in the fact that they don’t leave home without a trusty guidebook tucked under their arm. Whether it’s Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, or the newly launched Frommer’s catering to all needs, Hg2 and Wallpaper* sniffing out the best exclusive finds, or Eurocheapo’s own e-guide “101 ways »Read more

It’s not surprising why Bloomsbury is so popular with visitors to London. It’s both charming – picture streets of Georgian townhouses with pretty garden squares and cozy pubs – and convenient, being situated in the centre of the city with attractions such as the British Museum just around the corner. There are still lots of »Read more

EuroCheapo prides itself on sniffing out the best value accommodation options in a city, while more often than not, keeping the emphasis on family-run properties with character that add something to your stay. That said, the emergence of a different breed of cheap no-frills accommodation in Europe cannot be ignored, as these properties offer the »Read more

If you’re on the hunt for information about what to do in London or looking to catch up on the latest news, travel, style or beauty ideas, then you’re in luck. There has been an explosion of quality free publications in London (and across the UK) over the last few years. In addition to the »Read more

The Ridgemount Hotel is a great budget option on hotel packed Gower Street in London’s Bloomsbury neighborhood. In contrast to many of the hotels, it’s definitely a family concern, with the owners around every day to help and pass on tips. I had the pleasure of meeting Aled Rees, the grandson of the original owners. »Read more

In London, the best food values are often found away from the well-trodden streets of Soho and Covent Garden, so try these recommended restaurants to save some pennies and eat alongside the locals. Pizza: Stringray Cafe Locations in north and east London Website This friendly pizzeria with branches in east London’s Colombia Road and north »Read more

Exploring central London and feeling peckish? Here are five fool-proof places where you can refuel without emptying your wallet. 1. East Street 3-5 Rathbone Place W1T 1HJ Metro: Oxford Circus / Tottenham Court Road Website This funky pan-Asian restaurant is the perfect stop off point when you tire of shopping along Oxford Street. The menu »Read more

Arguably nowhere else in London illustrates the changing face of the city as much as Southwark does. It has centuries of history to be explored, whether you prefer to do that in a 17th-century pub or, in the case of Tate Modern, a re-purposed 20th-century power station. Throughout the area, historic warehouses have become cool restaurants, shops and homes, »Read more

London had its first RideLondon cycling festival last weekend, seeing over 70,000 cyclists, professional and amateur, take to the roads on a 100-mile circuit between London and Surrey. The success of the festival, followed by the announcement that it will become an annual event, cemented the fact that cycling in London is going from strength »Read more

The sun is (just about) still shining on London town and the city is at its finest, so hit the streets and indulge in some affordable grub at London’s best outdoor food markets before the rain returns! While Borough Market and the South Bank Centre’s Real Food Market are worthy staples on most visitor’s list »Read more

For the next in our series of our favorite hotel proprietors in London, I spoke to Mark Desira of the Luna & Simone Hotel. It’s another hotel that continues to get great reviews for its helpfulness and hospitality. (Indeed as I’m taking my photo of Mark, a couple of hotel guest remark how they’d like »Read more

First time visit to London? Lucky you! There’s lots to look forward to. What’s not fun to anticipate, however, are the costs involved. Plan ahead and it’ll go a long way towards ensuring a stress-free trip. To save a few shillings without having to scrimp on the sights, here are our EuroCheapo top tips for »Read more

Much of what you’ll read on EuroCheapo’s London blog will highlight the incredible variety of cuisines on offer in the capital. From top notch Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, French and Italian to Lebanese, Turkish, Spanish and Indian, London is the ideal place to introduce your taste-buds to new flavors. However, what we tend to shout about »Read more

If you want to get to know London properly, why waste your time being crushed too close to a commuter on the Tube when the London bus offers a far more pleasant way to get around? And it’s also far cheaper. Using an Oyster card, it’ll cost you £4.40 a day at most to get »Read more

There are more opportunities to get cultured on the cheap in London than you’d expect, and classical music is no exception. Whether you’re up for bagging a last-minute standing ticket or booking in at a special concert, London’s classical music scene has something for all pockets. Our “Cheapo Culture” series is exploring ways for budget »Read more